A Girl Like Coriander
by nixdragon
Summary: Kornelia thought she didn't mind being alone. Destiny had other plans.
1. Chapter 1

A skull grinned on a lopsided shelf only to be knocked aside and clatter to the ground with a scattering of teeth. A few bottles followed as sloppy movements knocked the shelf further aside but they were ignored as they slid one by one with a series of plinks and crashes. A flurry of a short, young-looking woman ignored the mess she was making and dumped ingredients and mixtures into a leather bag. A book followed and then a curse as she stuck her face into the pack's mouth and saw how little room was left.

"Mistress Kornelia?"

Her apprentice appeared bleary-eyed from his small side room, his ears too weak and human to hear what was coming. He had several inches on her and the gangly reach of a teenager. She tossed him the bag.

"Put that on. We're running."

His eyes followed her around the room as she dashed from food pantry to sword to lute, gathering them all and then shoving a cloak around the boy's shoulders.

"Now, Kace." A distant explosion gave the windows a slight rattle. His sleepy eyes turned toward it. "Kacper!"

He gave a squeak and then looked down at the bag in his hands.

"We… the nekker heart."

"Where did we store it?" Kornelia asked, her sword was shaking slightly and she was trying not to think about why.

"I don't… I'm sorry I don't know."

"Never mind."

She gave the small house and workshop a quick once over for anything that might be useful and then another to remember it and the memories they'd finally been allowed to make. A shake of short brown hair and an encouraging nod for Kace and she raised a hand toward the door.

She stood still.

She closed her eyes.

"Mistress… what… what are you…"

He gasped.

Kornelia opened her eyes to check her work. Before them the air rippled and swirled, circling around until the portal was complete.

"Go. Hurry."

He stumbled forward and then stopped and she realized he was only wearing one shoe. Ah, well. Too late.

"But you-" Kacper began.

"I have to follow you. Go."

Feet marching outside. Doors breaking.

"Go!"

He ran forward, bag still clutched between his arms. She watched him disappear and then she jumped forward after him, just in time for the door to shatter open and a helmeted head to appear just inches away.

And disappear as she landed in the grass hundreds of miles away.

Kornelia took a long moment to search the area around them with all her senses but no one seemed to have noticed their arrival or followed her trail. Kace seemed fine-pacing around as he processed the sudden loss of what was probably his first true home too. He didn't seem too concerned at the sudden magic which calmed her heart a bit.

Her fingers traced the bundle in her offhand, the food and lute seeming to have survived her awkward landing. She took a long deep breath, resisting a twang at the lutestring and the wish that its owner might somehow hear it and come running. Afterall…

"We're safe for now." She told the boy.

He stopped pacing and finally seemed to take in their surroundings. A grassy field. The sound of waves. No lights but the stars and a tower almost out of sight down the coastline.

"Where are we?"

Kornelia sighed and steadied the sword in her hand. But the words held no danger for him so she made sure to keep the dread from her voice as she answered.

"Aretuza."

…

"Mama, why do you have so many apprentices?"

Tissaia de Vries glanced up from a quill and the third page of a sharply worded letter to eye the little girl currently places ten fingerprint smudges across the balcony window. "Nellie, your hair."

Kornelia de Vries reached up to find that half her braid had fallen around her face. She wrinkled a tiny nose, the sort of nose that would have had dirt on it constantly without a perfectionist sorceress always watching it. A moment later and she had tucked the hair haphazardly away and repeated her question.

"Because I don't know which of them will be successful." Tissaia continued writing, eyebrows arched in disapproval at something or other. "Or useful." She smiled wryly. "Or use_less_."

"Oh." Nellie tapped the glass and then let out a slow breath. Satisfied at the fog she'd left, she raised a finger to it and slowly traced the shape of a cloud.

"Which do you think you will be, Nellie?"

The little girl's head jerked up, having forgotten the conversation the moment she'd gotten her answer. She turned to squint at her drawing and then shrugged. "I don't know. Do you think I even have magic, mama?"

Tissaia moved with deliberate gestures, setting the pen down carefully, pulling out her chair with both arms, standing with a grand sweep of her skirts. She walked over to the little girl and held out a hand. After a moment of consideration, Nellie held up the same finger that had traced the glass and tapped Tissaia's palm. She closed her eyes and felt a familiar spark running up her arm and calling for her to follow. Nellie tried to concentrate but beneath her closed eyelids she kept looking toward the window and wondering if the storm outside was closer.

"Concentrate, flower."

Nellie snapped back but she could feel the spark slipping away.

She tried to follow it but her head felt too light and her mind had to go to her wobbly knees before they could collapse beneath her. The little girl opened her eyes just in time to see a spark of lightning curled around her hand and Tissaia's. Tissaia waited, watching for Nellie's reaction.

Nellie pulled her hand back and considered it, turning it back and forth and flexing her fingers as though trying to tune an imaginary instrument. She always felt dizzy in this room, with its big books and heavy furniture that was too high to climb onto. But Tissaia was always, always in here and at least there was the window.

"What are you thinking, Nellie?"

Nellie looked up and shrugged.

"Useless." She furrowed her eyebrows. "I'm going to go draw now."

Tissaia nodded, expressionless.

Nellie walked out, half dancing her way to her room next door. She had to use both hands to pull the heavy wooden door open and then closed again behind her, careful not to close it on her toes again. She made her way to the bed next and pulled out a little treasure chest someone had brought her mother as a gift. She never met Tissaia's friends. None of them sounded nice anyway.

She pulled out a little pile of papers and some colored chalk and began doodling lightning bolts and clouds and then the tower and the cliffs. Eventually, the room grew too dark to see and she felt her way up onto her bed, curling up in the blanket and wondering if tomorrow she would see something new. Just like she did every night.

Just like she would do every night.

For another thirty years.

She fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Nellie sat curled in a corner of the greenhouse with a sketchbook propped on one trousered knee. Her hair was cropped short now, staving off motherly reminders. To replace it she had bright splotches of chalk across her shirt, wrists, and right cheek but neither she nor Tissaia had noticed yet.

There were a few of Tissaia's students in the room and they had noticed, hiding a giggle behind their hands before quieting down to listen. They were used to Nellie lurking unintroduced in all sorts of strange corners. Not that they knew her name. Or anything about her.

She'd won her battle.

She was as unimportant as another brick in the tower wall.

The students began chanting, concentrating on their lesson now. It was safe to move around. Nellie stood and stretched luxuriously, ignoring her mother's glare, and began walking through the tables of herbs. Pretending to sniff one while she snagged a branch from another. Pretending to admire a useless flower while plucking the one behind her.

She left the room with her usual half dancing twirl and went to find a window to sit in. Her first choice was blocked by a visiting mage reading a book and so she made her way to her second favorite, soft with mold but splashed with seaspray every few minutes. She pulled off her shoes and let her feet dangle outside in the cold.

Was it time for lunch yet? Probably. She wasn't hungry yet.

Nellie closed her eyes and let the sun warm her face.

The herbs she'd stolen were burning a hole in her pocket. She needed to hide them soon. Tissaia didn't like her 'playing' with poison and Nellie didn't feel like facing the consequences of explaining herself.

She heard the footsteps behind her just before the voice spoke and snapped to attention.

"Who are you?"

Nellie stared at the speaker, one of the students. A newer one. With purple eyes and a hunched, painful-looking shoulder.

The strange girl lurched forward, voice louder. "I asked you a question."

"Oh." Nellie nodded. "Oh, right. Sorry. I'm nobody, really."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Nobody? With free rein of Aretuza and-"

"It's Kornelia," Nellie said before the girl could elaborate. "Nellie." She waved a hand as though this explained everything. "Nobody."

"Nellie Nobody?" The girl asked. "That can't be your name."

"Then I suppose it's not." Nellie eyed the girl's shoulder again. "Does that hurt?"

"No." The girl snapped. Nellie shrugged and turned away. "I'm Yennefer."

Oh right. The girl who'd broken a mirror and tried to… Right.

"How do you like Aretuza so far?" Nellie asked.

Yennefer stepped closer, leaning past Nellie to peer out the window at the rough waves below. "This is a beautiful view."

"Only the best for the great Tissaia." Nellie yawned. "Well…" But she had nothing to add.

Yennefer didn't seem to notice. "It is the most beautiful place I've ever seen."

Nellie considered the waves again, tapping her bare heels against the stone wall. There were rocks straight below her. She didn't like that thought with this Yennefer here.

"It's the only place I've ever been," Nellie offered up as a distraction.

"Mmm." Yennefer reached forward to peer awkwardly around the window frame, nose wrinkling. "You're not missing much. Not from the people anyway."

Nellie tossed her sketchbook to the floor and gave the strange girl her full attention. "Oh? And where have you been? What are people like out there?" She leaned forward, trying to catch any hint of emotion. There didn't seem to be any.

Yennefer simply shrugged.

Nellie sighed and ruffled a hand through finger-length locks. She didn't have much experience with refused requests, but that little experience had taught her not to bother. With a lazy stretch, she stood and snatched up her belongings. She had just made it to the door, thoughts consumed by her next meal when Yennefer's voice spoke up again.

"Teach me about the herbs you took."

Nellie turned with a look of surprise. "Me?"

Yennefer rolled her eyes. "Do you see anyone else here?"

Nellie studied the room. Playing dumb worked with her mother. And what did she know, anyway?

"I think you might want to reconsider?" Nellie offered.

Yennefer turned and looked out the window again. She was shaking her head. "I've considered all my options. You know something Tissaia won't teach me. I want you to teach me." Her hand went into a pocket and came out with one of the herbs Nellie had stowed away earlier. "What does this do?"

Nellie stared. Swallowed a strange lump in her throat.

"Come with me and I'll show you."

Nellie turned back and walked away.

Yennefer followed.

…

A field of wildflowers settled as the wind faded away, blue and pink and yellow blossoms stilling for a moment. It had been a hundred years since anyone had found their way to this corner of the forest. No one had known or cared about its existence for far longer then any bird or insect had lived to flutter through and no one minded when Kornelia stepped out of the portal and trampled one or two petals beneath her shoes.

The scent of the crushed blossoms hit her nose and she took a deep, deep breath. She still wore the clothes her mother gave her, still carried herbs she'd picked in that tower, but the week of freedom since she'd left had her standing taller and looking brighter. She'd copied down a map of the area on a whim and now she had a treasure trove all her own.

Kornelia looked down at her feet and then up at the untouched tangles before her. She lifted her hand and a moment later she was safe across the field, standing the shade of a tree as her portal faded away.

A bird fluttered near, landing on a branch just a foot away, not sure what she was.

She smiled.

"You know, I've never been alone before."

The bird rustled brown feathers and cocked its head.

"Never. Always someone in the next room, above me or beside me or…" Her voice trailed off as a wind came and brought a wave across the colors before her. "Huh."

She settled down and began to draw.

Three days later she had a dozen drawings of flowers, of trees, of her birds, and she also had no more chalk.

Kornelia pulled out a map.

She found a city.

An hour later she was walking into it.

A few potions and a bit of magic and she was walking into a shop with coin.

She walked out with chalk and paint and made her way to a spot no one could see to cast her portal again.

She found a spot to draw.

She did it all again.

Again.

Again.

Two years later she approached the same gate and heard the call of, "Kornelia, hello!" from a guard. She passed a rose to a little girl who'd requested it. She found her spot outside the tavern and two women gave her the latest gossip-no one seemed to be afraid of the girl who sold the helpful flowers.

She smiled politely and kept her drawings hidden and when it was supper time she said goodbye and walked into the tavern. Her hair was a bit long now and she rebraided it as she told the barman what she wanted. The braid sat over her shoulder for a minute, maybe two, and then stuck awkwardly out behind her ear but she didn't care any more than she ever had.

She was halfway through a plate of roast deer when the door to the tavern burst open and a richly dressed man burst through, handsome and young and brilliant with emotion.

"Kornelia de Vries! Where is she?"

The barman motioned to Kornelia, spoon stuck in her mouth as she sat confused and frozen and the handsome man's grin turned on her.

And she met Lionel.


	3. Chapter 3

Nellie and Yennefer sat crosslegged on the floor of the former's room, surrounded by walls lined shelves and a ceiling covered with hooks and hanging herbs and chains with burning braziers hanging below them to light up the windowless room. Chests filled the third of the room that wasn't taken up by the women, a desk covered with vials, or Nellie's small bed tucked behind the desk on the right side of the room. There was no sign in the room that Nellie was any sort of artist-other than the sketchbook stuffed and forgotten under her pillow.

Between them was the smoke of a particularly nasty poison and the bowl that contained its ashes. Nellie was scribbling notes before she could forget them and Yennefer was strangely relaxed, eyes closed and head thrown back after a long day of studying and practicing her magic. After a few moments, she winced and gently touched her shoulder. A quick look at Nellie told her that her moment of weakness had gone unnoticed… not that Nellie would care. Yennefer's face twisted-not that Nellie cared about anything, anywhere, ever.

"It should be more potent," Nellie said suddenly. Her hair was to her chin now, half held back with a few small braids pinned to the back of her head. Her eyes were brighter when she talked but the dark, sleepless marks below them had deepened sharply. It was late, late at night and she hadn't slept the previous night either. "It hasn't been that long since we picked it."

"It's been a month." Yennefer corrected quietly.

Nellie dropped the notes and raised her palms to rub at her eyes. She'd been so careful. Meaningless. Pointless. Worthless. Again. How did Yennefer and all those students learn and grow and create and she was just stuck? In everything? With nothing?

She stood, letting the paper fall to the floor, and stomped her way to the desk. One of the vials was filled with mold. Nellie swore and yanked open a drawer, opening a hidden compartment to pull out a small bottle of liquor. The drawer slammed with her hip as she snatched two clean jars and began pouring a measure for herself and her pupil.

"Well, you'll be gone soon anyway." Nellie shrugged. She tossed back a gulp and shuddered as the burn of alcohol hit her throat. "You'll find more out there then we could ever learn mucking about in my room. Your king will probably fill three rooms with herbs for you."

Yennefer drank and seemed unaffected. "You'll have to visit me on one of your trips."

This made no sense to Nellie so she drank a little more. "Like you'll have any time to bother thinking of all of us back in Aretuza. You'll have your new face. Everything you want."

Anger or maybe annoyance flashed across Yennefer's face.

"And what would you want, Nellie? If you wanted something?"

Nellie's body pulled back before she could even process what she'd been asked, hands up defensively in front of her. "I want to stay here. I want to help my mother. I want to be…" Nellie looked down at her dirty-kneed trousers and her too-big shirt and her bloody knuckles. How old was she? Fifty? A hundred? Two hundred? "Yennefer, I have no idea."

"Well, let's see." The bottle raised and filled both their glasses again. "You have dozens of books on medicine."

"They talk about herbs. And herbs are the only thing around here that changes." Nellie wasn't sure why that mattered but it did.

"Alright." Yennefer did not seem to know what to do with that either. "Why did you teach me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Nellie's eyes found a particularly bright lump of coal in one of the braziers and lost herself in staring at it.

"Lots of reasons," Yennefer waved a hand. "It's inconvenient. It's a waste of your time. I might betray you. You no longer have power over me."

"That does make sense." Nellie twisted her head to look at the coal from another angle. Her vision was blurry. Her mouth tasted like cotton. "But it worked out."

"Hm. Something else, something else. Oh. Where do you go when you disappear?"

"What?" Nellie's head was cotton too. Strange. It must be in her ears too. She took another sip from her jar and squinted at her student. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… you must go somewhere. I knock on your door and you don't answer… Unless you're ignoring me."

"What do you mean to disappear? When have I disappeared? I'm always here. I always answer." Nellie scowled. "I don't disappear!"

Yennefer stared at her. Her eyes focused, too well, on Nellie's and Nellie realized she hadn't actually seen Yennifer drinking.

Static seemed to be raising between them. But it was in her mind now instead of in her heart or her finger or her arm.

"Are you reading my mind?"

Yennefer bit her lip, raising one of her hands slightly. "You don't remember."

Thoughts prickled through Nellie's mind as she tried to place what Yennefer might be missing: days of gleefully sharing what she knew with the younger woman…. being taught in return how to keep her hair back and patch her trouser knees and other things her mother must not have thought she needed…. the exuberance of having a student understand what Nellie had thought was an overly passionate waste of breath compared to Tissaia's angry lectures…. burning her hand on a lantern two days ago and adding a pleasant scent to the numbing medicine just because she could… her mother taking her hand and the sparks flying up and down her arm again… waking up pleased that the burn was… gone...

"Nellie."

She had forgotten that Yennefer was even there.

"Tissaia's your mother?"

Oh. That was boring. Old news.

Nellie shrugged and stood, moving to one of her many shelves to start preparing another experiment. She was already focused on her next project, gathering too many jars in one arm and holding them awkwardly against her stomach to pile more on top. A piece of chalk she'd lost and now found got tucked behind her ear and a pestle placed between her teeth.

She took the single step journey back to the middle of the room to find that Yennefer was still sitting, actually drinking her liquor now, deep in thought. Nellie paused and waited, tapping her fingers on her knee as she waited for her student to be ready to listen. She had all the time in the world, after all.

Yennefer looked up.

Any curiosity or happiness that had been there a few minutes ago had turned to worry and scheming. She looked more like Tissaia then Nellie did for a moment and then Yennefer stood abruptly and went to Nellie's small bed to yank up the pillow. Nellie made a sound of protest and lept up as well but Yennefer had already grabbed a paper and started scribbling on it, hiding whatever it was behind a cupped hand.

"Can you trust me?" Yennefer said, yanking the paper back as Nellie stood on tiptoe to catch a glimpse.

Nellie was at a loss. It was ridiculous to see anyone looking so concerned when they were safe inside this tower, let alone have them looking that way at little old Nellie Nobody.

"Yes?"

Yennefer folded the paper, folded it over again, folded it again and again until it was as small as she could make it. "Can I trust you?"

Laughable. What could Nellie possibly do? "Yes."

Yennefer held the paper out, her hunched shoulder meaning she could reach quite as far as she wanted to. Nellie helpfully reached out a hand in return and took it. It felt like a chunk of rock or wood, Yennefer had folded it so tightly.

"Do not open it… Do not read it…" Yennefer grabbed Nellie's chin and yanked it up, glaring at her. Her voice was cold. "Don't even think about it until I'm gone."

"From… Gone from… You mean from my room or…?"

"From this tower."

Yennefer dropped her hand at this command and swept from the room, leaving her friend confused and alone again.

Nellie sat down on the bed and stared at the little lump of paper until its corners left creases in her hand, refusing to go back over the memories that Yennefer had seen, refusing to look for clues. She sat until her eyes began to flutter from exhaustion and she realized it was almost dawn.

Then she tossed the note into the back of a desk drawer and let herself forget it was there.

...

Author's Note:

eeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeagh*pterodactyl screech*

anyway, i'm trying to write more. thanks for the support!


	4. Chapter 4

"I hate this place," Nellie commented. She was staring out of her mother's office window at a clear blue sky, letting the sun warm her face.

Tissaia had just returned from sending her last crop of students out into the world. Yennefer and every other familiar face was gone yet again. Friendless again.

"Don't complain," Tissaia finished setting aside her traveling things and a moment later was at her daughter's side. "Girls fight tooth and nail to come learn from me."

So that they can _leave_. But Nellie simply nodded.

Tissaia considered. Nellie realized too late that the buzz of magic was trickling through her head. A moment later it was gone. Before Nellie could regain her bearings, her mother held up an open hand.

The spark appeared, so bright it hurt to look at.

"Concentrate flower."

It happened once a year, Nellie knew. This stupid test. Going through the motions. Playing pretend that things were going to suddenly change. Why was she so angry? Nellie was never angry. She shouldn't be angry.

Nellie let out a deep breath and took her mother's warm and gentle hand, calling on that little energy inside of herself. Once a year, ever since that first little attempt. Just the same as that first little attempt.

She felt her mother's magic.

She felt her own magic.

Then she lost concentration as her mind found something it cared about more.

Then she lost the hold on her magic and felt it slip away.

The familiar exhaustion filled her. Her eyes were already drifting across the room for whatever chair or couch her mother had settled on for the decade. A quick nap and she'd be back to missing Yennefer and trying not to poison herself.

But this time, she was interrupted.

Why wasn't Tissaia letting go?

Didn't she have what she wanted?

Nellie's eyes grew blank and she crumpled. Tissaia reached a free arm around her daughter's waist to catch her, their joined hands still glowing. Nellie's head lolled against Tissaia's shoulder, the fine braids catching on her mother's dress.

"Mama?" A small voice slipped out.

Tissaia kissed her daughter's forehead.

"Shh, flower. You've been through a lot. When you wake up, you'll be happy again." She released her grip and Nellie's hand fell limp to the floor, scraping on the rough stones of the tower. "I promise," Tissaia added.

...

Lionel always seemed annoyed that Kornelia didn't like holding hands. She told him that she liked to be doing things and he seemed to accept that, playing with her long hair instead. It was freedom to Kornelia, having long hair and being allowed to draw for as long as she wanted.

"Where is your family?" Kornelia asked Lionel as twisted a lock of her hair against his lips teasingly, his body protecting hers from the rough bark of the tree they leaned again.

"Ruling some country you've never heard of," Lionel grumbled. His blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, leaving the handsome features of his face open for the sun to light up and Kornelia to admire. "Waiting for me to return and claim back my throne."

"You're a king?"

"A prince." He dropped the lock of hair and moved the hand to her chin, holding her face still as he kissed her. "For now..."

He waited but Kornelia simply nodded and turned back to drawing the silhouette of leaves above them. The forest around them continued its life as well, birds singing and squirrels chattering, going on with their lives.

Lionel frowned.

He tried again.

"You know, I was looking for you. I was waiting for you to return to that little town." He saw her chalk pause. "Word of you spreads. They say a lot of things about you."

"Overexaggeration," Kornelia apologized.

"Not about your beauty." Lionel kissed her cheek and Kornelia laughed. "But I am wondering… if you can help me."

He reached out and stilled her hand, claiming her attention.

"I need magic. I need my kingdom back."

She considered this silently.

Lionel squeezed her hand. "Kornelia, please."

"I… I don't have the skills…" She started. Worthless. Powerless. Time to lose another friend.

"No, no, I know. I know, darling Kornelia, I know." He shifted away from her, turning so that he could look directly at her. "But your mother… if you could talk to her. Convince her to give me a sorceress like a true king."

Kornelia looked away.

Lionel instantly was stroking her hair again, kissing her forehead when she didn't look up. "I understand. It's alright, darling."

"I'm sorry." Kornelia managed.

"It's alright, Kornelia."

She reached up and drew his face to hers, kissing him until she felt assured that he didn't hate her for failing him.

"Sir! We're ready to leave, sir."

One of his men called from out of sight, back at the camp where they'd left them all. Lionel smiled at her apologetically as he stood and offered a hand. She accepted and stood, ready to continue their travel hodgepodge across the country.

Lionel raised her hand to his lips.

"Just think about it, will you?" He pressed his lips to her hand and gave her a sweet smile. "I love you."

She didn't believe him.

Kornelia blinked in surprise.

Lionel didn't notice, already pulling her along toward the camp, not noticing that her stumbles were unsure instead of distracted. Panic was similar to lovestruck, wasn't it? But she was sure she felt panic. Something was wrong. Something was wrong.

Something was wrong.

…

"I hate this place." Nellie had commented almost ten years earlier, staring once again out of her mother's office window. "I'm leaving soon."

She'd woken up dizzy and angry and weak. She'd gone straight to her desk and yanked open drawers, stuffed everything she loved into pockets and pouches. Then she'd waited two months for Tissaia to return again and call for her.

She had Yennefer's note in her pocket.

She hadn't read it.

She wanted to see if she was brave enough to go without whatever Yennefer had seen to light the fire beneath her feet. Yennefer was likely furious with her. How long ago had Yennefer left? Months ago? No, at least a year ago. All Nellie did these days was measure the tower by counting her steps. She knew every room-she could have drawn every room by memory but the thought made her feel sick.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother stiffen. Tissaia tried to speak several times before she found what she wanted to say.

"Nellie. Where could you possibly go?"

The young woman tapped the window, leaving a row of fingerprints. "Anywhere. Nowhere. Wherever isn't here."

She had never seen her mother so flustered and she continued to pretend not to see it.

"You… you belong here. You live here." Her mother rose, clutching her hands together. "What could you possibly do out there?"

"More than I can do in here with you borrowing all of my magic." Nellie shrugged. She was about to add exactly what she thought of that but...

Tissaia gasped.

Nellie's head snapped to look in her mother's direction.

She stared.

"You really thought…" Nellie began to blink rapidly. "After thirty, forty years…" Her head began to shake back and forth, disbelieving. "That I didn't know?"

"Nellie."

"Ridiculous," Nellie muttered. She turned away and flipped the small latch that had been holding the balcony doors closed. "I didn't want it."

"They will kill you." Tissaia's jaw flexed and she paused, trying to calm herself. "And you will deserve it for being foolish enough to leave our protection."

"Maybe." Kornelia de Wries through open the door and stepped outside for the first time in her life. "But at least I'll finally be a _happy _fool."

She called up a portal and walked through without a second thought.

...

Author's Note:

I am playing with timelines more then others. It seems from comments lol that I should publish a chronologically correct version as well after I finish it all-I'm curious to see how different aspects of the story play out differently in the two styles). I am playing a bit more with the lack of exposition from the show which, honestly, is hwo i find it fun to write so if I go toooo far I apologize haha

anyway, pterodactyl scream and thanks for reading


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